Manassas City Public Schools
Students with gifts and talents perform—or have the capability to perform—at higher levels compared to others of the same age, experience, and environment in one or more domains. They require modification(s) to their educational experience(s) to learn and realize their potential.
-National Association for the Gifted
Did you know, in addition to providing push-in and pull out lessons for students, all of our gifted resource teachers participate in at least one content area professional learning team; providing teachers with valuable resources to develop and enrich critical and creating thinking skills?
The Gifted and Talented Resource Teachers are again partnering with kindergarten classrooms to lead exciting lessons focused on logic. Students will have the opportunity to enhance their reasoning and critical thinking skills as they tackle a variety of engaging logic puzzles. Throughout the lessons, they’ll explore different problem-solving strategies and work independently and collaboratively to find solutions. It’s a fun and interactive way for young learners to develop their cognitive abilities!
GT teachers had the pleasure of visiting first-grade classrooms to share the captivating picture book Journey by Aaron Becker. Students were drawn into the story of the main character’s adventures, as she uses a magic crayon to explore magical worlds. Inspired by the book, they embarked on their own imaginative journeys, tackling challenges like crossing a candy-filled land, navigating a deep valley, and making a new friend. Through drawings, they expressed their ideas and thoughts while applying critical thinking and making inferences to solve problems. It was a wonderful way to bring creativity and imagination to life!
For our second push in lesson of the year for the 2nd graders we focused on Math. We had the classes do logic puzzles, where they were figuring out what the symbols/pictures were worth then completing the problems. An example is below. The students really enjoyed this lesson! Up next: Perspective Writing.
Our 2nd grade classrooms also participated in Naglieri Testing(NNAT). This test looks at non-verbal reasoning. Please look for more information to come home if you have not already received your students' results.
Logic Puzzle
Logic Puzzle
The elementary Gifted Resource teachers have had a fantastic time leading our pull-out enrichment lessons with STAR (Supporting Talent, Advancing Readiness) students. As we move into the second semester, our focus will shift to exciting engineering and building challenges.
Throughout this unit, students will sharpen their critical thinking, teamwork, creativity, and curiosity. From crafting paper snowflakes and airplanes to budgeting and constructing complex designs, we’ve got a variety of hands-on challenges lined up! With each activity, students will dive into the design process, developing important skills that will help them solve real-world problems and communicate effectively—skills that will serve them for years to come.
Student working
Student working
Student working
Students working
As we wrap up our semester on the Global Goals for Sustainable Development, I am grateful for the growth of our students as Global Citizens. Students learned about the threat of plastic to the health of our oceans and life under water, the importance of clean, sanitary access to water throughout the world, what threatens life on land (deforestation, pollution, etc), how hunger continues to be an issue around the globe, and finally the differences between renewable and nonrenewable energy sources and how each help or harm our environment. More than simply learning about the issues, our students gained knowledge on the small differences we can each make to improve the conditions of our world. We look forward to enacting change in small and big ways, and embarking on our new unit moving forward - Food Trucks!
Want a way to support your student's problem solving skills with fun logic and thinking games? Check out this website: https://www.splashlearn.com/games/logic-thinking
The Gifted Department is excited to announce a three-day summer camp for students currently in the Gifted Program in grades 3-6. The camp will take place from June 16-18, 2025, from 8:00 AM to 12:00 PM each day. Permission slips will be sent home in May.
We are excited to share an incredible opportunity for our students to explore the wonders of the universe! The Integrated Math Science Program at Metz Middle School is thrilled to partner with the U.S. National Science Foundation’s National Radio Astronomy Observatory (NSF NRAO) and Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) to host a special Astronomy Night for our 5th–8th grade students.
Save the date for the next Gifted/Talented Advisory Committee (GTAC)
The Gifted/Talented Advisory Committee (GTAC) is an advisory group for Manassas City Public Schools, made up of parents, teachers, administrators, students, and community members. The committee reviews the local gifted education plan, assesses its implementation, and makes recommendations for future services.
Monday, April 21, 7:00 p.m. at Baldwin Intermediate
At Baldwin Intermediate, we’re currently diving into an exciting and engaging research unit that’s all about student choice and independence! Each student has selected a topic they’re passionate about—ranging from the history of braces and the Battle of Pelusium, to endangered animals, eclipses, and even comparing soccer and football. The variety of subjects is truly inspiring!
Before jumping into research, students learned how to identify reliable and trustworthy resources online. We’ve discussed how to distinguish accurate information from biased sources, as well as how to evaluate whether the author is an expert in their field of study.
In addition to research days, students are participating in mini lessons on important skills like avoiding plagiarism, creating bibliographies, and selecting the best format for presenting their research findings. To keep things exciting and fresh, we’ve also incorporated Breakout EDU challenges into our routine. These immersive, team-based puzzles help students apply their higher-order thinking skills in creative ways. With interactive props like lockboxes and LED lights revealing hidden messages, students are actively engaged in solving problems that combine math, reading, and teamwork.
As we continue through the final months of the school year, I’m excited to support students in exploring their unique interests and further developing their research and collaboration skills. It’s been a rewarding experience seeing them grow in both knowledge and enthusiasm!
Our Mayfield GT students have had a busy and productive quarter, sharing their work with the wider community. Recently, three fifth-graders and one sixth-grader presented at the GT Advisory Committee meeting. They showcased their projects, including online genetics tools, a play about the Titanic, and a website on the Pearl Harbor attack.
In addition, two groups of sixth-graders visited local elementary schools to teach math. One group demonstrated multiplication strategies at Weems’ second-grade class, while another group taught elapsed time to Round’s fourth-graders, both followed by fun, candy-filled games!
On March 1, around 20 sixth-graders and four seventh-graders will compete in the regional National History Day competition at Annandale High School. This year, we’re excited to have a performance entry on Anne Frank, along with several documentaries, websites, and visual exhibits. We invite you to see all the projects at our GT Showcase on May 9. Hope to see you there!
Student working
Student presenting to class
Students presenting to class
Our 7th grade projects explore the exciting overlap between Language Arts and Fine Arts, highlighting how creativity can shine through words, stories, images, and all forms of artistic expression. Students have engaged in various activities, including drawing exercises focused on texture, practicing idioms in creative ways, and taking virtual museum field trips via Nearpod. It’s been a wonderful opportunity for students to see how art and language come together to tell stories and spark imagination!
8th graders projects focus on the fascinating world of science, specifically Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion. Gifted students will have the chance to work in small groups of up to four members to collaborate on research, presentations, and building models to explain the Law of their choice. It’s an exciting opportunity for students to apply their knowledge, creativity, and teamwork skills in exploring these fundamental principles of motion!
The Integrated Research class are putting the skills they’ve honed in Quarters 1 and 2—research and persuasive writing—to the test as they pitch their best ideas for our Quarter 4 community service project. Each student delivered a 60-90 second elevator pitch, and the top ideas will advance to a second round, where they’ll have the chance to present their ideas in more detail. In the end, the winning pitch will become our community service project for Quarter 4, putting their creativity and teamwork to work for a great cause!
During the second marking period, Honors Art 7 students worked painting techniques. Students completed a watercolor mosaic painting, using paint mixing skills, and a painting technique where they leave tiny white spaces between color blobs. They got to use their creativity to choose the shape and sizes of their mosaic sections, making them look very interesting! We students are now in their sculpture unit, and our first project is sewing!
Mosaic
Mosaic
Mosaic
Honors Art 8 students have also been working on watercolor techniques. Students in Honors 8 did a project based on the game, Creatures. Students received 5 cards from the game (3 different subject cards, habitat card, and detail card), and had to use those cards as the inspiration for their watercolor paintings. We are now in their sculpture unit, and are building with cardboard!
Watercolor painting
Watercolor painting
Watercolor painting
In IMS, students have been exploring the evolution of populations through comparative embryology, homologous structures, and fossil records. They studied the evolution of the horse by sequencing images from oldest to most recent, using their knowledge of modern horses to infer the correct order. They also examined fossils from different depths to understand how animals and their environments change over time.
Additionally, students learned about coral (Montastraea faveolate) and how its stress-related genes respond to temperature changes. By studying the effects of rising ocean temperatures, students calculated how the coral’s ability to adapt has evolved over time, using lab data to determine its adaptation threshold.
Horse fossil
Horse fossil
Fossil findings
Fossil findings
The third marking period GT meetings at Osbourn High School explored a variety of thought-provoking topics. Ninth graders brainstormed traits of their ideal school and learned about High Tech High, a San Diego charter school focused on project-based, interdisciplinary learning. They discussed its pros and cons and how to better align education with modern challenges. Tenth graders delved into ethics, debating topics like the nature of morality, where ethics come from, and whether lying or cheating is always unethical. The 11th-grade groups participated in the Star Power simulation, which examined social status, class, and power dynamics. Afterward, students reflected on how the game mirrored real-world social structures. For the 12th grade, a philosophy seminar introduced metaphysical and epistemological questions, such as "What is reality?" and "Do we have free will?" Students left with many questions and a renewed interest in exploring philosophy in college.
STAR Power
STAR Power
Students trading in STAR Power
Students collaborating
